The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Florida Pitt-waller Ece-8 School
Florida Pitt-Waller ECE-8 School sits in the northeast reaches of Denver, serving children from preschool through eighth grade in a single building. It is a regular public school within Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest district, and draws from a growing part of the city where new subdivisions have filled former prairie. The school enrolls a substantial number of students for its grade band, and the student body reflects a mix of racial and ethnic backgrounds, with the largest groups being Hispanic and Black, followed by Asian students, and smaller shares of white, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. A very high share of students come from low-income households, as measured by the federal free or reduced-price lunch program.
On state assessments from the most recent school year, Florida Pitt-Waller’s results are below the averages seen across Denver County’s districts. In math, less than an eighth of students in tested grades scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, about a fifth of students met that benchmark. In science, the share was even lower: roughly a twentieth of fifth graders and a tenth of eighth graders reached proficiency. Participation rates on the tests were above eight in ten, which is within typical ranges for a public school. When measured against other Denver County districts that reported comparable data, the school’s overall proficiency placed in the bottom quarter of the handful of districts with scores. Because Florida Pitt-Waller does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on chronic absenteeism was not available in the source material.
The academic profile of the school is one that a parent considering it would want to explore further with the school itself. The student population includes many English learners and students with disabilities, though exact counts for those groups were not provided in the data we examined. The school shares its building with a preschool program, which means young children start their education in the same facility where they could continue through middle school. This uninterrupted span can appeal to families who value a single, familiar setting over multiple school transitions.
Denver, where the school is located, is a large consolidated city-county and the state capital, functioning as the principal commercial and transportation hub for the region. Its economy spans telecommunications, aerospace, financial services, health care, and manufacturing of electronics and medical equipment. The city has experienced sustained population growth over decades, and the present-day metropolitan area stretches from the foothills westward across the high plains to the east. The immediate neighborhood around Florida Pitt-Waller lies in a zip code where home values and rents have been declining slightly year over year, making the area more affordable than many Denver neighborhoods. Home prices there are lower than the state median, though still above the national median. Renting a typical apartment in the zip code would consume a modest share of a median household’s income.
Denver Public Schools has undergone several recent changes that affect schools across the district. In 2024, voters approved the largest bond in district history, funding facility upgrades, safety improvements, technology, and new construction. A district-wide literacy curriculum shift began in 2023, adopting evidence-based reading instruction aligned with the science of reading for elementary grades. A new unified enrollment system for school choice was implemented for the 2024-2025 school year, changing how families apply and select schools. And a mill levy override passed in 2022 boosted teacher pay and mental health services. These initiatives represent substantial investments in the district’s infrastructure and instructional approach, though their specific impact on Florida Pitt-Waller would depend on which programs and funds reach the school.
Florida Pitt-Waller ECE-8 is a large, urban school serving a high-poverty community with academic outcomes that lag behind most other Denver County districts on state tests. It offers a single pathway from early childhood through middle school in a setting that may appeal to families seeking continuity and a neighborhood school close to home. The district’s recent bond and curriculum shifts signal an intent to raise student achievement, but the most recent test results show a school still working to bring a majority of its students to grade-level proficiency. A parent considering this school would want to visit, speak with staff about supports for English learners and students with disabilities, and ask what academic interventions are in place.
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